Yorkshire's Harry Duke agrees Middlesex switch

Middlesex have signed wicketkeeper Harry Duke from Yorkshire on a two-year contract following a successful loan spell.

Duke, 25, joined Middlesex to cover for injured keeper Joe Cracknell in September, having also spent time at the club earlier in the season. He scored his maiden first-class hundred in the County Championship defeat to Durham, then made 55 in the final of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup on Sunday as Middlesex lifted their first white-ball trophy since 2008.

Duke came through at Yorkshire and made his debut as a teenager in 2021. He was still 19 when he hit 125 in his second appearance in the Royal London Cup, making him the youngest player to score a List A hundred for Yorkshire since Sachin Tendulkar.

However, his returns were slimmer in first-class cricket and, with Jonny Bairstow's increased availability, he was unable to cement a place in the County Championship side, spending time on loan at Essex during the 2024 season before impressing with Middlesex.

"We have always been honest with Harry about what the opportunities would be for him here at Yorkshire," Gavin Hamilton, general manager of cricket, said. "His time at Middlesex on loan has been a really successful one for him personally; that is very much clear to see.

"Harry's energy behind the stumps is hard to match across the county circuit and he remains a very talented cricketer. Everyone at Yorkshire Cricket wishes Harry the very best for the future."